Feed mill and method of preparing animal fodder



July 14, 1942C o. W.'RANDOLPH 2,239,727

FEED MILL AND METHOD OF PREPARING ANIMAL FODDER Filed March 12, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet 1 MV M/ law/ii u y 2- o.-w. RANDOLPH 2,289,727?

FEED MILL AND METHOD OF PREPARING'ANIMAL FQDDER Filed March 12, 1940 2Sheets-She et 2 v Mu 1X 12/71727/ /7 Patented July 14, 1942 FEED ANDMETHOD OF PREPARING ANIMAL FODDER Oliver w. Randolph, Toledo, OhioApplication March 12, 1940, Serial No. 323,581

Claims.

This invention relates to conserving values in products and theirproduction.

This invention has utility when incorporated in methods of subdividingwith temperature and humidity controls as in a milling streamcontinuity. An instance'is the powdering of dehydrated alfalfa to astage for storage with desirable Carotin properties therefor.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a partially-schematic and partiallybroken away view of an installation carrying out the purposes hereindisclosed, say for handling green alfalfa from the field to bags;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line II-II, Fig. 1, showing the humidity orfogmoisture supply to the subdivided or powdered alfalfa meal;

Fig.3 is a transverse section, with parts broken away, of the hammermill and draft connections thereto; i

Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV, Fig. 3, of the hammer mill anddischarge way therefrom;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V, Fig. 3, of the pneumatic elevatoror induced draft promating means for the hammer mill; and

Fig. 6 is a detail ,view of one of the blades or hammers of the hammermill which may be mounted in its various positions to wear off each ofthe four corners, which mill may be run in either direction.

From the field, the vegetation, say alfalfa of green growth of as muchas 8 to inches high, as cut may be brought in and at chopp r I bereduced in length to 2 inches. This chopped green alfalfa may then, as acontinuous process, be run through dehydrator 2, wherein direct heatthereto is supplied short of combustion with effectiveness for removingmoisture therefrom to the range of approximately a dryness of as low as-5 per cent. This chopped or short length dehydrated alfalfa from thedehydrator 2 may pass by hopper 3 to chute 4, wherein supply valve 5driven by motor 6 may operate at slow speed for delivering of this stockby way ofport I (Fig. 3). Intake check valve 8 allows this supply ofmaterial as extending the full way across cylindrical top 9 of a hammermill. From this cylindrical top 9, the mill has removable upper sidesections l0 carrying roughened or abrasion-promoting portions. Therefromtroughs l2 serve as re ceivers for the heavier gravity foreign matter.

By releasing the respective sections 10 from the shell 9, handles f3 maybe grasped and these sections removed to condition or replace theabrasive portions II or remove the foreign matter from the trough l2.Opposing the cylindrical upper arc portion 9 are lower arc portions l4,l5, interfitting at medial lower rib l6. Upon taking out the section l0,it is then possible to take out the adjacent section M or IE, thereby toreplace or give attention thereto. These respective sections 'l4, l5,are foraminous, and desirably have openings l1 (Fig. 4) of one dimensionat one side and a different or smaller dimension openings I8 in theother are section as extending away from the rib l6.

Motor l9 (Fig. 1) is-eff'ective to drive shaft (Fig. 4) mounted inbearings 2|. This shaft 20 between the bearings 2i passes throughhousing end portions 22 determining the ends of the cylindrical housingof this hammer mill as having the shell 9, I'll, l4, l5. On this shaft29 in this hammer mill housing, there is medial disk 23 as adiaphragm'between the coarser openings [1 and the less dimensionopenings l8 of the shell portions 14, Hi. This disk 23 additionallycarries wings 24 which serve as fan or draft promotion means in creatingsuction in the housing, thereby to draw in air through the intake checkvalve 8 adjacent the supply valve 5. Upon opposite sides of this disk 23the hammer mill carries supplemental disks or spider portions 25 havingpins 28 therein. Upon these pins 26 are. arms 21 of ohdrical shell ofthe hammer mill.

long rectangular form having openings 28 in opposite ends thereof. Theseplates or arms 21 are the hammers loosely on the rods 2t which in thehigh speed rotation tend to strike the incoming material and drive suchabout in this hammer mill. These hammers or plates 21 aie clear ofdirectly impacting the interior walls of this cylinof opening forincoming air draft, say as drawn through heat exchange device or coolingradiator 3 1i. This cooling radiator may have its water supply from awell or there may be special cooling installation as refrigerant device35 (Fig. l)

with line 36 therefrom past valve 31 to determine the rate of flow ofthis cooling water or liquid 1 through the radiator 34.

This 'mill discharge chamber 29 remote from the radiator 34 and theintake has discharge outlet 38. (Fig. 3) axially of fan or blower 39 in-At the high 7 housing 40. Motor 4| (Fig. 1) driving this blower in thehousing 40 thus induces draft or intake oI-air through the radiator 34.Controllably directed by the louver 32 and by the'action of 'theIevelers 3| there is precluded any building up or accumulation ofdischarge into the chamber 23. This incoming air as induced picks up theparticles passing through the openings l8, l1, and directly deliverssuch from the chamber 29 by the passage 33 to the blower 39, which inits discharge may operate in either direction due to automatic valve 42(Fig. This valve 42 normally lying toward the down side is for elevationof the induced air carrying fines from the friction in operation of thehammer mill is one not tending to lower this temperature,' even thoughthere be some air brought in due to the fan action of the flanges 24 onthe disk 23. This rate of subdivision is further accelerated due to theinduced draft promoting more ready flow of the subdivided particles fromthe cylindrical shell of the hammer mill into the chamber 29. With thisair from the radiator 34 as induced by the blower 39, there is inpractice a lowering of the nozzles 56 for spilling weighed quantitiesinto bags 51, which bags are to be closed and stored. In practice it hasbeen found that the rat unit vitamin values of Carotin are available ina markedly advantageous degree even over a period of storage for as muchas a year, and that these values not only run above 90 in the unitsadopted but average over 100 and even,go up to 120 as retained.

Control for the fogging sprays 53 may be in the supply of the liquid,even-cooling liquid, say by branch duct 58 (Fig. 1) from the line 36.The quantity as to the fog heads or spray devices 53 may be adjusted bythe valve 59.

What is claimed'and it is desired to secure by United States LettersPatent is:

1. The method of preparing a vitamin-bearing food product in acontinuous cooperative sequence comprising chopping succulent state cropmaterial having a vitamin content, heating and dehydrating the freshlychopped material, subdividing the material to approach powderedcondition therefor, refrigerating a carrier air stream for thesubdivided material to an extent such that the subdivided material islowered to approximate atmospheric temperature, and conveying saidsubdivided material with the refrigerated air stream, collecting andseparating said material from the conveying air, further conveyingtemperature of these fines so that the temperature in the riser 43 maybe in the range of normal atmosphere temperature or around 75 F.Inasmuch as there has been the direct heat dehydrating operation and alow moisture content, even in the range of 5 per cent moisture for thematerial as entering the hammer mill, there is a tendency to build upthe moisture content of these elevated fines in the riser 43. Thismoisture addition is not great but may be to the extent of 1 or 2 percent as taken on from the humidity of the normal air supply as inducedor mingled therewith.

From this cyclone dust collector 44, this dust or fines of thesubdivided material may go to shaker screen 46, the coarser portionstherefrom said material, and spraying a cooling liquid on the materialduring said latter conveying.

2. Apparatus for preparing a vitamin-bearing food product in acontinuous cooperative sequence comprising means for cutting up cropmaterial having a vitamin content, means for heating and dehydrating thefreshly severed mapassing by duct 41 to the hopper 3 again to passthrough the hammer mill. The fines as at the degree desired pass fromthis screen 46, as driven by motor 48, to housing 49, in which islocated screw conveyor driven by motor 5|. In this housing 49 thepractice is to maintain fines to an extent above shaft 52 of the screwor flight conveyor 50. This conveyor 50 in its rotation, whileprogressing material, tends to agitate the material during suchprogress. Accordingly, fogproviding spray heads 53 are staggered alongthis conveyor housing 49, further to reduce the temperature, in thatthis water supply may be in the range of 50 to 60 F. and effect thebuilding up of the moisture carrying content of this vegetation aspowdered and including the leaf or chlorophyl matter. In practice, thishas been built up to the range of 10 per cent moisture, with avoidanceof clogging or balling. With such uniformity for this moisture andbrought into practice so rapidly and continuously from the dehydratingor close to the time interval as in the growth condition on the field,valuable properties of vitamins are retained.

In-this functioning of the installation, from the conveyor housing theremay be discharge terial, a hammer mill to which the heated material fromthe dehydrating means is delivered, a pneumatic conveying system in partforming the discharge of said mill, said system including carrier airrefrigerating means for removing and cooling mill ground material, saidconveying system delivering said material to a collector and separator,said material being separated in said collector from conveying air,means for delivering the cooled material to a second conveyor, and

means for spraying a cooling liquid on the material while in said secondconveyor.

3. Apparatus for preparing a vitamin-bearing food product in acontinuous cooperative sevquence comprising means for cutting up cropmaterial having a vitamin content, means for heating and dehydrating thefreshly severed material, a hammer mill to which the heated materialfrom the dehydrating means is delivered, a pneumatic conveying system inpart forming the discharge of said mill, said system including carrierair refrigerating means for removing and cooling mill ground material,said conveying system including a cyclone type dust collector andseparator for discharging air from the material separated in saidcollector, anadditional conveyor, means for delivering said cooledmaterial to said additional conveyor, and means for spraying a coolingmedium on the material while in said additional conveyor.

4. Apparatus for preparing a vitmain-bearing food product in acontinuous cooperative sequence comprising means for cutting up cropmaterial having a vitamin content, means for heating and dehydrating thefreshly severed material, a hammer mill to which the heated materialfrom the dehydrating means is deliv- 54 to bag filling machine 55 havingdischarge ered, a pneumatic conveying system in part forming thedischarge of said mill, said system inclu'ding carrier air refrigeratingmeans for removing and cooling mill ground material, said conveyingsystem including a cyclone type dust collector for discharging air fromthe material separated in said collector and separator, a screen, meansfor delivering the cooled material to the screen for separation of aportion therefrom, means for spraying a moisture cooling medium on saidmaterial, and an additional conveyor having a housing along which saidspraying" means extends.

5. Apparatus for preparing a vitamin-bearing food product in acontinuous cooperative sequence comprising means for cutting upsucculent state crop material having a vitamin content to produce achopping thereof, means for heating and dehydrating the freshly severedmaterial, a mill to which the heated material from the dehydrating meansis delivered for there undergoing grinding subdivision toward powdering,a pneumatic conveying system in part forming the discharge of said mill,said system including carrier air refrigerating means for removing andcooling mill ground material, said conveying system delivering saidmaterial to a collector and separator, said material being separated insaid collector from conveying air, means for delivering the cooledmaterial to a second conveyor, and

means for spraying a cooling liquid on the mate rial .while in saidsecond conveyor.

' OLIVER W. RANDOLPH.

